God created the heavens and the earth and said that it is good. He created man and woman and said they are very good, valued and created with a purpose. They disobeyed God and were sent out of the garden, but God gave them hope: eventually, a Savior would come.
But disobedience was still in the world. Cain, Adam and Eve’s firstborn son, was a farmer. Abel, their second son, was a shepherd. Adam and Eve and their children had a relationship with God, but it wasn’t the way it was in the garden. There was a separation that hadn’t been there before.
All the religions of the world focus on what we can do to earn a spot in God’s presence. Our mistake is when we assume the same - that the things we do will earn acceptance and favor from God.
God said that would never be enough, and that’s why he sent his Jesus to die on a cross for our sins. It is through that sacrifice – neither an offering of firstfruits, as Cain offered, nor an offering of an animal, as Abel offered – that our relationship with God can be restored.
Prayer: Dear God, I’m sorry for thinking I can work and strive my way into your presence. All you want is a relationship with me, and you made that possible through Jesus Christ. I want that relationship with you! Amen.